Fence machine and the like



- April 30, 1929. F, ADAM 1,711,194

FENCE MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 11, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 30, 1929.

F. AD AM FENCE MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 11, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1. L Am m W m April 30, 1929.

F. ADAM FENCE MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed 001;.11, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 39,1929.

UNITED STATES F-OLGER ADAM, OF JULIET, ILLINOIS.

FENCE MACHINE AND-THE LIKE.

Application filed October 11, 1928. Serial 110. 140,742.

The present invention has to do with improvements in fence machines. It has reference particularly to improvements in machines for manufacturing what is known as slat fence, but it will be understood that the features of the invention are not limited to use in machines for manufacturing this particular kind of fence except as I may limit myself in the claims. Nevertheless, in view of the fact that the features of the invention are especially well. adapted for manufacturing picket or slat fence, I have illustrated and will describe the invent-ion for this particular class of service.

The main feature of the invention is to provide means for taking up the fencing at a uniform rate so as to allow the weaving or fence manufacturing process to continue in asubstantially uninterrupted manner over a long period of time. The takeup mechanism is so arranged that during intervals when the reels upon which the completed fence is wound are being changed the fencing being wovenwill be stored up and delivered to the next reel after the same is in place and in operation.

This will make it unnecessary to shut down the weaving operation during intervals when the reels are being changed or adjusted, thus greatly increasing thedaily capacity of the machine as a whole, and also reducing the labor and other costs, such as overhead, etc.

Another feature of the invent-ion relates to the provision for taking up the fencing in the aforesaid manner, whether the machine be of the continuous or intermittent type. in other words, the featuresof the present invention are not limited either to continuous feed or intermittent feed machines, but may be used to advantage in both kinds of machines.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a detailed description of the same, which consists in the features of construct-ion and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings,-

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a fence machine of the intermittent type having applied thereto a take-up mechanism embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows a fragmentary side elevation corresponding to the machine of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view .of the winding sticks and one of the end blocks in which they are mounted, and shows the manner in which the slat fencing is engaged with the sticks in order-to cause proper reeling;

Fig. 1 shows a view similar to that of Fig. 2 with the exception that it illustrates the features of the invention as applied to a machine of the continuous feed type; and

Fig. 5 shows a fragmentary'elevation of a portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. l, and illustrates a slip clutch such as is used for driving the winding reel.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the machine therein illustrated includes a number of coiling heads 6, through which the strand Wires 7 are introduced in pairs. The individual slats 8 are originally fed from the stack or pile 9 to suitable placing rolls or the like 10, whereby they are projected. between the pairs of strand wires during-intervals when the coiling heads 6 are idle. After each slat has been projected into place between the strand wires the completed fencing is advanced in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1, and at proper intervals the coiling heads 6 are rotated so as to twist the pairs of strand wires, and thus complete the manufacturing of the fence.

The completed fencing is taken up on a suitable winding roll or reel 11, the same being driven in suitable manner. As the amount of fencing on this reel increases, the diameter of the roll increases, so that the rate of draw ofl must vary, and accordingly it is very customary to use a slip drive of some kind so as to allow the rate of rotation of the reel 11 to accommodate itself to the changing conditions.

Usually the fence is reeled on a pairof bars 12 and 13 (see Fig. 3). The ends of these bars are loosely mounted in end blocks, such as 14, in Fig. 3, said end blocks beingprovided with suitable sockets 15 to accommodate the ends of the bar The fresh end of fencing 16 is introduced between the bars 12 and 18, and as said bars are rotated together by rotation of the end hubs 14, the fencing is reeled up, as shown in Fig. 2. After the de sired amount of fencing has been reeled, one of the end blocks 14- is removed, and the bars 12 and 18 may then he slipped away from both end blocks. These bars may then be drawn out from the roll of fencing, and the bars may then be replaced between the end blocks, and the operation repeated.

Heretofore, the process of removing the reeled fencing and commencing on another reel. has .necesmrily been attended with a temporary shut down of the operation of the machine a whole. This is )ecause it has eretofore been customary to eliver e fencing suitable t e-up device having a sufficient ca- LiCiFlllilltfillElQ such an amount of igr the reeled fencing i ling operation. In the pardon (JOTi'iSLi action illustrated this take-up device comprises take up roller or the like 17, preferably suiliciently large in di ameter to av r inks in. the fence. This roller is carried upon a shaft 18, the ends of said shaft working within vertical slots 19 in a pair of end v cal posts QOand 2i For this purpose the sl aft18 are mounted in jour al workii b 3y which they guieed. These join-rial bloeks and are also supported by cables or ropes 24c and 25, which pass over pulleys at the top ends of the posts. Counter weights are also provided, which are sufiicient mass to raise the take .p roller 17 with the necessary force to take up the slack fencing as fast as it is produced. In other words, the counterweights are of suffic ent mass to draw off the newly woven fenc 1 d t iis is done by the raising of the up roller 17.

There is in this way produced a reservoir for the storage of newly woven fence. The amount of fencing which may thus be accommodated is substantially equal to twice the amount of permissible vertical movement of the take up roller 17. For example, with posts allowing a sixteen foot vertical movement there may be taxen up thircytwo feet of fencing in the storage reservoir without any un'i-esponding; rotation of the reeling mechanism.

The machin illustrated in Fig. 1 is of the intermittent type, that is, the type in which the actual. ard advancement of the fencing: is ll'itfli'llb tent betv-ieen the operations of placing successive slats. in this particular machine the fencing; passes nrst over a guide roller 28, and then to the slack take-up mechahi just described.

After the fencing leaves the take-up mechanism it passes between a pair of sprocket drums or the like 2%) ant 3(. These are ournaled in suitable sti 1(lS and and the two sprocket drun'is are also provided with ratchet wheels 38 and 34, which are engaged by pawls 35 and 36, respectively. These pawl and ratchet devices allow the fencing to be advanced in the direction of the arrow of i 2 and towards the reeling; mechanism, but

when the reelimechanism is stopped, the

sprockets and pawl and ratchet devices will prevent any backward movement of the fencing. tendency of the take-up roller 1? is to draw the fencing backwards with a force equal to that tending to crew the newly woven fence forward. The reeling mechanism is driven by a chain 8?. The driving end of this chain passes over a sprocket (see Fig. 5) mounted upon a stub shaft This stub shaft is driven from another shaft ll) through the medium of a friction clutch ll. The frictional force exert d in this clutch may be regulated by a counterweight mounted upon a bell crank arm 43 pivoted at 4%, and in accordance with well understood principles. The shaft 40 is driven at a substantially constant speed,

and the slip clutch allows the reeling mechai'iisin to rotate at a variable speed, depending upon the size of the roll of f ncing.

ltwill be understood that the normal or average reeling rate is substantially equal to the average rate of fence weaving. .The actual rate of reel drive is, however, substantially greater than the average during the interval that tl e reel is being rotated. This is because after fresh reel has been started it must be rotated fast enough to not only take up the fencing it is produced, but also to absorb the extra amount of fencing produced during the interval of idleness of the reeling mechanism, so that before the new roll of fencing is completed the take-up roller 17 will have been drawn clear down to its lowermost position. Thereafter when the roll of fencing is being; changed, the sprockets 29 and 30 will hold the fencing against any backward movement and the take-up roller 17 will rise, and thus take up the newly produced fence while the roller is being changed.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4, the actual pulling out of the fencing is accomplished by means of a large drum -15 having: sprocket teeth 46. The fencing is then delivered from this drum to the take-up roller 17 in the manner already explained in detail. W hen using); the type of construction illustrated in Fig. 4c, the reeling mechanism is relieved of the work of pulling out the fencing from the weaving mechanism, since this Work is performed by the drum 45. This type of construction is also preferably in that class of machines known as continuous feed as distinguished from intermittent feed machines.

While I have herein shown and described only certain. embodiments of the features of my present invention. still l do not intend to limit myself thereto except as I may do so in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for the production of fencing having longitudinal strand wires and transverse slats. the co ation of means for weaving said fencing, a reeling'device ill-- This is important because the natural 7 eluding end hubs and a pair of removable bars extending between said hubs and adapted to receive the end portion of the fencing between them, means for driving one of said hubs, including means permitting a variable speed of rotation thereof, a guide roller over which the fencing passes after it is woven and having a fixed axial position, a pair of sprocket drums between which the fencing subsequently passes in advance of the reeling mechanism, pawl and ratchet mechanism in conjunction with saidsprocket drums permitting advancement of the fencing from the sprocket drums to the reeling mechanism but preventing backward movement of the fencing away from the reeling mechanism, a takeup roller intermediate between the guide roller and the sprocket drums aforesaid and overwhich the fencing passes in its travel from the guide roller to the sprocket drums, guide means for said take-up roller permitting shifting of said take-up roller at right angles to its axis of rotation, and'counterweights normally tending to draw said takeup roller away from the guide roller and sprocket drums to thereby create a lengthening loop of fencing, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for the production of fencing having longitudinal strand wires and transverse slats, the combination of means for weaving said fencing, removable reeling means for reeling the completed fencing, means for driving said reeling means at a variable speed as permitted by the delivery of the fencing thereto, a guide roller over which the completed fencing passes, another element over which the fencing subsequently passes, means for preventing a retrograde movement of the fencing at the position of the last-mentioned element, a take-up roller at a position intermediate between said guide roller and said element, means permitting movement of the take-up roller in a direction at right angles to its axis, to thereby establish a variable size loop of fencing intermediate between the guide roller and the element aforesaid, together with means tending to draw the take-up roller away from the guide roller and said element for the purpose of extending the size of said loop, whereby when the rate of fence weaving exceeds the rate of reeling the excess fencing is taken up by the loop roller in the form of a loop, and whereby when the rate of reeling exceeds the rate of fence weaving the excess fencing stored in the loop is delivered to the reel, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for the production of fencing having longitudinal strand wires and transverse slats, the combination of means for weaving said fencing, means for reeling the woven fencing, a sprocket drum in advance of the reeling mechanism adapted to engage the transverse slats, means for preventing backward movement of said sprocket drum andthereby preventing backward movement of the completed fencing, together with a guide roller and a rotatable element in advance of the sprocket mechanism and over both of which members the fencing passes in its travel, a loop roller intermediate between said guide roller and said rotatable element and over which the fencing passes in its travel between the guide roller and the rotatable element, and means for shiftin the loop roller in a direction at right angles to its axis to thereby take up or give out fencing from a loop intermediate between the guide roller and rotatable element depending upon the relative rates of operation of the Weaving and reeling mechanism, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for the production of fencing having longitudinal strand wires and transverse elements, the combination of means for weaving said fencing, means for reeling the woven fencing, means for establishing a loop of fencing intermediate between the weaving and reeling mechanisms, means permitting variation in the size of said loop while retaining the fencing under tension therein, and means for preventing backward movement of the fencing intermediate between the loop and the reeling mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for the production of fencing having longitudinal strand wires and transverse elements, the combination of means for weaving the fencing, means for reeling the woven fencing, and means intermediate between the weaving and reeling mechanisms operable to receive and store up or give out fencing during its travel between the weaving and reeling mechanisms and in accordance with excess of rate of weaving or rate of reeling, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for the production of fencing having longitudinal strand wires and transverse elements, the combination of means for weaving fencing at a substantially uniform rate per hour, means for reeling the fencing at an intermittent rate, and means intermediate between the weaving and reeling i mechanisms for establishing a loop of variable size and adapted to either take up or give out fencing depending upon excess of rate of weaving or momentary rate of reeling, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for the production of fencing having longitudinal strand wires and transverse elements, the combination of means for weaving the fencing at a substantially uniform rate perhour, means for reeling the fencing at a variable rate varying between rates greater and less than the rate of weaving, and means intermediate between the weaving and reeling mechanisms operable to establish a loop of variable size to thereby take up fencing during intervals of relatively slow reeling and give eut fencing (luring intervals of relatively fast i'eeli 11g, substantially as described.

8. In a machine feithe production of fencing including longitudinal] s'ti'z'incl Wires and i uisverse elemen is, time combinatii'xn means fer weaving said fencing; at a subsi antislly uniform rate per hour, means for reeling the fencing at a variable rate including rates greater and less 'shan the rate 01 weaving,

iliriving means for said i'eeling'ineans permitting slippage oi the reeling means as com- PEPE-Kl. to the iZL'i'Q of driving, togethei with menus for establisliing a, loop of fencing internieeiate between the Weavingineans and the reeling means, and means permitting said loop to vary in size according L0 exvess in rate of weaving 01 mile of reeling, substantially as described.

FOLGAR ADAM. 

